A Venus figure or figurine is a prehistoric sculpture dating back as far as 35 thousand years ago. These are the oldest known forms of figurative art known to exist. Created by numerous Paleolithic cultures from the Gravettion period around 25,000 B.C, some researchers call this the first sign of intelligent beings on earth. The sculptures were prone to many different crafting techniques that included casting, the carving of softer rock material including limestone, calcite, ivory, and bone that often depicted an exaggerated and disproportional body of a woman. A softer source material helped the craftsmen sculpt the Venus figure more precisely. The sculptures are vastly skewed and often have a relatively tiny, faceless head in contrast with
For example, during one of our earliest cultures, the Paleolithic period, the Women of Willendorf sculpture portrays a grossly heavy female figure representing fertility and beauty of being
The Venus of Willendorf can be a considered a landmark of the Paleolithic Era for various reasons. For one, it is not native to its land. It is unknown as to where it was originally created. Whenever it was found in 1908 researchers discovered that the statue was made of a type of limestone that was not native to that area, which led them to conclude that it had been brought to that particular area. Secondly, some experts believe that the statue gives a clear indication of what the people of that time worshiped. Some researches found that many people during the time worshiped the Venus of Willendorf as a fertility goddess.
The primary focus of ancient Greek sculptures was that of the human body. Almost all Greek sculptures are of nude subjects. As the first society to focus on nude subjects, Greek sculptors attempted to "depict man in what they believed was the image of the gods and so would come to celebrate the body by striving for verisimilitude or true – likeness (realism and naturalism!)."(Riffert) Not only did the Greeks celebrate the human form in their art but also in everyday life. (Riffert) One of the favorite topics for sculptors was that of the athlete. In Greek culture athletes were described as "hero–athletes". (Riffert) This shows that athletes were revered and looked upon as heroes. The influence
The Venus of Willendorf is a sculpture that was sculpted out of limestone and stands to be 4 ½’’ tall. The figurine was most likely carved out of limestone because early pre-historic artists generally had to create art out of whatever materials they had available. The figurine is only 4 ½” tall is because it was common for pre-historic artists to carve small, hand held, portable figurines. The sculpture was found on the banks of the Danube River, an area where pre-historic hunter-gatherers were thought to have lived and traded goods with other civilians. The use of this piece of artwork is to portray the importance of women and fertility in pre-historic times because these features are ones that ensured the survival and future of mankind.
The Venus of Willendorf was found in 1908 by a workman named “Johann Veran” (Selen). It was found by archeologists at a Paleolithic site. Here at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, we have the only authentic Venus Figurine (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien). The artifact’s purpose is still being speculated by many. But from what I can infer, the figurine was used a a maternal figure, and it shows the richness of female fertility.
In 1908, a statue known as the Venus of Willendorf was found in a cave near what is now Vienna, Austria. Archaeologists believe that the figure comes from 24,000 and 22,000 B.C. Similar statues have been found in a large area of Europe. The Venus of Willendorf has become a symbol of prehistoric art. Paleolithic Wo/Man believed in a multitude of gods and honored the spirit of each thing. Today, this is called Animism. As Wo/Man matured and traveled across Europe, he took his
The Mazarin Venus at the Getty has been restored extensively. Scholars believe the head actually belonged to another ancient statue. Nevertheless, it is still a beautiful piece that demonstrates how the ancients viewed their gods. Venus has a beautifully proportioned and shapely figure. She has a lovely face, also classically proportioned, that is framed by curls. Her hair cascades down her back and falls over one shoulder. She gazes off to the side. She is graceful and elegant, showing herself with neither boldness nor undue modesty. She represents the female ideal of her times. Her beauty mirrors the beauty of love. The Greek sculptor who originally created the figure and the Roman sculptor who copied it did
Venus is a term that has long been associated with artwork, most specifically the classical forms of beautiful women. The term Venus has also come to represent female sculptures of the Paleolithic era. The most notable of these female sculptures is the Venus of Willendorf, 24,000-22,000 BCE. The age of the figurine has been changed several times. Originally when found the date was estimated to be 15,000 to 10,000 BCE. During the 1970's the time period was adjusted to 25,000 to 20,000 BCE; the date was again recalculated in the 1980's to 30,000 to 25,000 BCE;
The Venus Pudica was a pose used in ancient Greek art where an idealized female figure is depicted covering her pubis
Twenty eight years after Giorgione’s death, as a close friend to him, Titian created another version of the reclining female nude, which is also one of the most famous female nude in art history - the Venus of Urbino in 1538. It was an oil painting on canvas, and now located at Uffizi gallery in Florence.
During the Upper Paleolithic era artists created a wide range of small sculptures. These sculptures were made from various materials, including ivory, bone, clay, and even stone. They represented humans, as well as animals; they even combined them at times. Most of the sculptures from this time show a high level of skill. From this time, there were two very influential sculptures, The Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Laussel. This paper will discuss both sculptures, in detail, as well as, compare and contrast them.
Looking back on sculpture in Ancient Greece, the first examples of a naturalistic form are seen. Stone and heart were melded to display humans and animals as they exist in nature. Earlier artists, influenced by the Ancient Egyptians, saw sculpture as a way to admire human perfection in figures known as Kouros. In 492 BC, Persia invaded Athens and in their wake, most of the existing Kouros were destroyed. During the time period spanning from Archaic Greece to Classical Greece, artists developed the desire to create figures inspired by the world allowing the more detailed style of naturalistic form to take motion.
The Birth of Venus was painted between fourteen eighty-four and fourteen eighty-six. The Birth of Venus is a tempera painting, which was commonly used in the early Renaissance era. The painting depicts
The birth of venus is from the renaissance in Florence .it is a mythological masterpiece which is considered as the first non religious nude ever since the period of classical antiquity. The painting under analysis is taken from a combined work of mythological paintings by Sandro boticelli [1445-1510] birthof venus was completed in the 1480s.during this period boticelli completed three fresco paintings in the Sistine chappel under pope sixtus IV .birth of venus was completed after returning from home .the painting depicts the nude figure of goddess venus . she was been placed on a dry land whih has supposedly emerged from the sea.lorenzo the magnificent[1449-92]of the medici family,belong to the quattrocento humanist circle that was specifically
The Birth of Venus (Nascita di Venere) is a painting done by Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli in 1486. The painting depicts the moment the goddess Venus first emerges from the waters of the sea and prepares to step onto the shore. Through linear techinques and artistic symbolism, the painting not only depicts the story and narrative of the goddess Venus’s birth but also seeks to exhibit the many different types of love and adoration which surround the creation of life.